Energy and Sports Drinks May Damage Teeth

The author of a new study in General Dentistry says people who drink sports drinks or energy drinks are "essentially bathing their teeth with acid," according to this release from the Academy of General Dentistry. Lead author Poonam Jain also said the study simulated the drinking habits of American teenagers and young adults, many of whom consume these kinds of drinks every few hours.

Researchers immersed samples of human tooth enamel in each drink they tested for 15 minutes at a time, then transferred the samples to artificial saliva for two hours. They did this four times a day for five days, and stored the samples in fresh artificial saliva at off times.

Of the 13 sports drinks and nine energy drinks tested, all caused damage to tooth enamel during the five-day period. And energy drinks were worse—they caused twice the damage of sports drinks.

AGD spokesperson Jennifer Bone, DDS, MAGD, recommends rinsing with water or chewing sugar-free gum after consuming these types of drinks, to stimulate flow of saliva and bring down acidity levels in the mouth. She also suggests waiting at least an hour to brush your teeth, as that can make matters worse. More

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